


Mutability

by minkhollow



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: April Showers Challenge, Community: itsproductivity, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-10
Updated: 2008-07-10
Packaged: 2017-10-18 17:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/191163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minkhollow/pseuds/minkhollow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things are written in stone, even when you have access to a time machine.  For Remus, one of those things is not what he's grown to expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mutability

**Author's Note:**

> Part rooted in a crossover_hp prompt, according to my intro on the original post. itsproductivity prompt was 'write what you wanted to do.' One of these days I want to revisit this 'verse, but I feel too shaky on my Nine to do that now, so.  
> I am not the BBC or JKR; I just borrowed because this so needed to happen.

There's one place the Doctor won't take Remus, and that's to the recent past - no matter how often Remus asks, the Doctor's put his foot down.

"Absolutely not, young man. Even if your friends did believe you, you'd more likely create a temporal paradox or a parallel universe than solve any of your own problems. You seemed bright enough to grasp that."

Remus sighs. "I did grasp it, but that's hardly going to stop me from wishing I could _do_ something about it. If it were that simple, I wouldn't have asked at all."

The Doctor doesn't answer, but there's a look in his eyes (far older than his face even in the best of moments) before he turns to the TARDIS' console that suggests he knows exactly what Remus is talking about. Remus feels it would be a bit rude to ask about it, at least at this juncture, so the silence stretches out to the point of becoming awkward.

"So," the Doctor finally says. "Given any thought to where you'd like to go?"

"I don't know. There are so many choices. Maybe I shouldn't anyway, there's a..." Remus hesitates, then thinks, he's talking to an _alien with a time machine_ ; if the Doctor can't handle this, _no one_ can. "There's a full moon, in a few days. I wouldn't want to cause a paradox by devouring anyone, or something."

"Oh, is that all? That's easy enough to work around; we just need to get you away from the Terran lunar cycle. There are planets with no moons at all. There are planets with so many moons it'll make your head spin - but not, and here's the important bit, trigger your transformation."

For the first time in years, Remus finds he doesn't know what to say. People don't just _help_ him like this; other than Dumbledore, the only ones who ever have are dead or in prison, now. He wouldn't have thought anyone but James or Sirius could leave him this kind of speechless.

"Of course, I'll know those destinations far better than you would," the Doctor continues, "so I could pick this time and you can have your historical destination or whatnot after that. If that would be all right with you?"

" _Would_ it? I've been given more help and loyalty than I ever dared expect, but no one's been able to offer me a reprieve. You don't even have to _ask_."

The Doctor grins. "Fantastic! If you've got everything you need, we can head off in a few moments."

Remus knows the reprieve can't last; if nothing else, there will be loose ends to tie up here, for his friends' memories if no other reason. And he knows coming back is going to be bittersweet for more than one reason.

Still, he badly needs the chance to clear his head and recover from all life's bombarded him with, in the last few days. If the Doctor can give him that much, he'd be a fool not to take it.


End file.
